REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – A member of San Mateo CU who spent her would-be wedding night in jail after stealing $35,000 from her credit union to pay for the nuptials, on Tuesday was sentenced to six months in jail after repaying the money she took to pay for food, music and the event’s location.
Briana Balancier, 27, couldn't come up with the cash to pay for the caterer, reception hall, DJ and photographer, so she stole it.
In March she deposited a check for $35,000 drawn from her day care business Happy Little Hearts into her credit union account. Credit union officials said they couldn't give her the money until the check cleared with US Bank.
The same day, Balancier wrote up a phony fax purporting to be from US Bank saying the check was good, and sent it to the credit union. Over the next couple days she withdrew about $20,000 from her credit union account and used it to cover wedding expenses.
The bride was arrested on March 19, just two days before the wedding was set to take place.
Balancier doesn’t have to surrender until June 2010 because of a high-risk pregnancy, according to prosecutors.
